Bible reading: 1 Samuel 17:12-50.
David had no previous experience fighting giant warriors, actually, to make matters worse, he had no experience fighting on any battlefield (after all he was a shepherd). However, his confidence in his ability to kill Goliath came from his unwavering faith in God’s power and this faith stemmed from his past experiences with God. David remembered his experience in protecting his sheep from lions and bears and never failed to recognise that it was only possible because of God’s intervention. Although Goliath was probably more intimidating than a lion or a bear, David did not measure his past challenge against his new one, instead, he believed that if God could give him the ability to conquer a lion or a bear, He could do even more!
As we go through life, our giants rarely get easier the same way challenges at work tend to increase as you move higher up the ladder and there are a few things we can learn about David’s unwavering faith in God.
- The very first step to having unwavering faith against the giants in your life is to build a strong relationship with God. David’s anger stemmed from Goliath’s utter lack of respect for God (the same way it would upset us if we heard someone slander a close friend) indicating that David had a strong relationship with God (see verse 26). Also, when asked, one of Saul’s servants described David as someone who the Lord was with (1 Samuel 16:18).
- The second is to recognise God’s hand in everything that you have already overcome or achieved. This will help to ensure that your faith remains in God’s ability and not yours! David recognised that all his achievements at work (as a shepherd) were only possible with God’s help (see verses 34-37).
- The third is to remember how God has helped you in the past when facing new challenges as this will give you the confidence you need to succeed.
I truly believe that God will never give you a challenge without a way to overcome it. Most times the ultimate purpose of these challenges is to strengthen our faith in God. But for that to happen we have to believe that God is greater than any challenge we may face and continuously acknowledge and rely on Him through the process.
